Internal Democracy and the Sustenance of Democratic Governance at the Local Level: Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State in Perspective

Abstract

Democracy at the local government level has been stressed so much since the orchestrated 1976 local government reforms including the emphasis on democratic representative government enshrined in the 1979 and 1999 constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, as far as democracy is concerned at the grassroots level, little or not much has been achieved. The paper attempts to investigate the relationship between internal party democracy and democratic governance in Chikun LGA of Kaduna state. The objectives of the paper include determining whether the process of selection of flag bearers is adhere to the principle of internal democracy and if policy makers have democratised governance by involving the people in policy making. The study relied on survey and exploratory methods and adopted purposive sampling technique to select a total of 50 respondents out of a target population of 55 persons. Data was obtained through primary and secondary sources involving questionnaires, semi structured interviews and secondary data. Data collected were presented and analysed based on the propositions guiding the paper using simple percentages and content analysis. Findings shows that the process of selection of party flag bearers for elective positions in Chikun LGA do not adhere to internal democracy principles, therefore the study recommends that the process of selection and election of party flag bearers into elective positions should be democratised to give every eligible contestant equal opportunity rather than imposition of candidates by a few elites.